Life can become a bit of a blur sometimes, can’t it? One day merges into the next and before you know it, another month has gone by. I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday, not to mention last week! But I’ve found that keeping a daily sketched calendar is a great way to capture […]
Category: Tutorials
January Calendar – Part II
My January calendar still needs a few finishing touches, like a border on the outside edge and some color between the boxes, but while I’m working on those, here’s a step-by-step explanation of how I drew the elliptical layout for the 12″ x 9″ calendar page. 31-day elliptical calendar layout 1 – Use a pencil […]
Hotel del Coronado Sketch – Finished!
In my previous post, I showed you several color options for the title lettering on my unfinished sketch of Hotel del Coronado and asked which you thought worked best. I received lots of comments both here on my blog and on a Facebook group that I participate in and could tell you all put a […]
Hotel del Coronado Sketch – Opinions, Please!
Whew! The holidays are over and the January lull has arrived. Don’t you love it? I really enjoy this quiet time of year, when there’s not usually much going on, and I have time to catch up on some of those projects that have been put on the back burner for awhile. I haven’t been […]
The Evolution of a Time-Lapse Sketch
I’ve been experimenting a little this summer with using toned paper, in preparation for a new class I’ll be teaching in San Clemente, CA, in November, and Keeton’s Art Supply in Bradenton, FL, in February 2019. I’ve tried Caran d’Ache colored paper, Strathmore toned paper, and Stillman and Birn Nova sketchbooks. My most recent attempt […]
Sketches from Maine!
Maine was WONDERFUL! The lupines were in bloom, the weather was close to perfect, Primrose Cottage was as cute as ever, and the students who joined me for the painting retreats were an absolute joy to be with. Getting to spend two weeks there this year was the icing on the cake. I fell in […]
A Free Tutorial – Just for You!
How would you like to learn how to paint these gorgeous daylilies? I’m giving away a free tutorial called “How to Paint Daylilies with Watercolor.” This is the same lesson I taught at a “Sketching at Summerhill” workshop awhile back. Now you can experience Summerhill for yourself! Read on to find out how to get […]
March Calendar Sketch…31 and DONE!
I’ve always wanted to try keeping a monthly calendar filled with daily sketches. It’s something I often suggest to my students, but I had never actually done it myself…until now! Ink & watercolor in a 12″ x 9″ American Journey journaling sketchbook I started this calendar page on March 1 and finished up today, the […]
Super Simple Slip-On Sketchbook Cover
Have you ever heard of oilcloth? It’s a finely woven cotton fabric that has a waterproof vinyl coating applied to one side. I happened to spy some cute oilcloth on the clearance table at Hobby Lobby the other day and thought, “Wouldn’t that make a great sketchbook cover?” So, I snapped up a half yard […]
How to Paint a Snow-Covered Evergreen Tree – Technique #2
(This is the second in a series on how to paint a snow-covered evergreen tree. Read about Technique #1 in this post.) Snow-covered evergreen trees are a complex subject to paint. There are so many branches and layers and angles – how do you know where to start? This technique breaks the painting process down […]